Liquid Packaging: The Benefits of Bottle Rinsers on Packaging Lines
While not every packaging line will include bottle rinsing equipment, cleaning containers can provide benefits across a range of industries. These machines can take the form of simple, semi-automatic rinsers, requiring an operator to place bottles and start the rinse, or they may run automatically, inverting containers as they enter the rinse area on a power conveyor. Some rinsers will even use unique vacuum nozzles, allowing bottles to be cleaned automatically without the need for inverting. Regardless of the form or type of machine being used, bottle rinsers provide a number of benefits to packagers of many different products.
Product Quality Protection
Of course, removing contaminants from bottles would be the main goal of bottle rinsing machines. Getting rid of dust, debris and other residue prior to introducing the liquid to the containers helps protect the quality of the product. Debris may be left over from the manufacturing of the bottles, from shipping or even from containers sitting in storage waiting to be put to use. Rinsing machines can use liquid or air to ensure no product contamination occurs when the bottles are run through the filling machine.
Compliance Where Necessary
In some cases, clean bottles may not only be desired, but actually required. From foods and beverages to pharmaceuticals and other industries, consistent and effective cleaning of bottles can help packagers comply with any regulatory requirements when preparing products for the consumer. Meeting hygiene and safety regulations, for example, not only ensures regulatory compliance, but also adds a layer of trust for the users of said products.
Added Efficiency
In addition to protecting product, bottle rinsers can also add speed to the packaging process, allowing demand for a product to be met with an optimized flow of clean bottles reaching the filling machine. Hand cleaning each individual bottle can be a tedious undertaking, leading to downtime for other packaging machines such as fillers, cappers and labelers. Adding automation to the container cleaning process allows that step of the packaging process to keep pace with all others.
Versatility
Finally, bottle rinsers can handle a wide range of container types and sizes. From small to large, from glass to plastic, rinsing machines can be manufactured to clean a range of bottles with simple changeover in most cases. As mentioned above, many bottle rinsers invert containers over a rinse basin, allowing dust and debris to flow from the bottle when liquid or air is used to clean the inside while inverted. For containers that are difficult to invert, due to weight, shape or other factors, bottle vacuums allow the containers to stay on the conveyor during the cleaning process. Whatever the shape or size of the container, Liquid Packaging Solutions can offer an efficient solution for rinsing.
While not a component of every packaging line, bottle rinsers may be desired or required for a number of different reasons. To see the different options available from LPS, visit the Container Cleaning section of the website or contact a Packaging Specialist today.